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War (What is it good for?)
War (What is it good for?) is a song written by Norman Whitfeld released on March 6, 1970. Originally meant to be popularized by The Temptations, the song became synonymous with singer Edwin Starr after he released the song as a single in 1970. Name War (What is it good for?) Name of the Singer Edwin Starr Social Problem being Protested This song used its platform as a popular song of the early 70s to protest the Vietnam War that was taking up the national attention of the time, however the song's message can be extended as against all war in general. Sample of lyrics ' Ohhh, war, I despise Because it means destruction of innocent Lives War means tears in thousands of mothers’ eyes When their sons go out to fight and lose their lives '''Relevance of the words and phrases ' All of the song's lyrics are designed to show the strong anti-war feelings to the audience. The use of the word "despise" is important because it demonstrates the major anti-war feelings of the song. Additionally, the use of the words of "destruction of innocent Lives" emphasizes the loss of the innocent lives of the soldiers who fought. The line, "War means tears in thousands of mothers' eyes," is meant to evoke the emotion of intense sadness in listeners that mothers who lose sons in war feel. Finally, the song makes extensive use of military style music in order to call more attention to its anti-war themes. For example, the song is structured like a military march in order to criticize war with its own music. '''Event, person, and place at issue The issue at hand is the Unites States's’ unnecessary involvement in the Vietnam War during the 60s and 70s and the deployment of young soldiers to fight a war abroad, risking life and limb, with no obvious reason. D'ate song was produced' War (What is it god for?) was recorded in 1969 and released on March 6, 1970. Location produced Detroit, Michigan Significance of the song in history This song is significant in history because it served as an anthem of resistance to the Vietnam War, and to wars seen as unnecessary. This song was able to voice a whole generations' opposition to the Vietnam War. The song reached No. 3 on U.K. charts, which is also a testament to how internationally appealing the song was to young people. Contemporary connections While this song represents the anti-war feelings at the time it was written, the meaning of the song can be extended to today to protest wars that people see as unnecessary and a waste of human life. This can apply to modern US conflicts such as the war in Afghanistan and various other Middle Eastern conflicts that directly parallel the Vietnam War. Trivia ''' The song was placed in on the "No-Play List" in 2001 because the song's anti-war themes were seen as unpatriotic and distasteful after the 9/11 attacks. The Temptations were originally going to release the song, but their producer stopped it so as not to estrange The Temptations' more conservative audience. '''The reason we chose this song We chose this song, firstly, because it is a textbook definition of a protest song. But more meaningfully, the song's simple lyrics resonate a profound meaning in listeners that really gets across the anti-war message of the song. External Links https://genius.com/Edwin-starr-war-lyrics https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_(The_Temptations_song) https://classic.motown.com/story/edwin-starr-war/ https://www.wesa.fm/post/exhibit-explores-causes-and-toll-vietnam-war#stream/0